Archive of Our Own ^beta

Kagome had spent her whole life waiting.

Waiting for school.

Waiting for Inuyasha to notice her.

Waiting for Naraku to reveal himself.

Waiting to go back.

She'd never seen herself as the impatient type, but always felt so out of place in whichever world she was thrust into. Nothing ever felt right. Nothing ever felt like home.

Even after the well's magic had returned, there'd been a moment's hesitation, but Mama's hand on her back and her soft encouragement had allowed her the freedom of open fields and fewer expectations.

The relief she'd felt when Inuyasha's fingers had wrapped around hers left her reeling, her legs unable to hold her up as she greeted the rest of her pack, but the telltale butterflies had been absent.

She'd thought the defeat of Naraku and the completion of the jewel would lift the burdens from their shoulders, allowing them to settle into the life they'd always hoped for. But although the love was there, it had shifted in the three years she'd been away.

It came in the form of protecting the village, group hunts, and laughter as they lounged around the fire on their way to visit faraway friends.

Friendship never burned so brightly.

She accepted it, revelling in the shift of their relationship as the lines of adulthood slowly creased their faces. The lack of expectation on her role in the village allowed for more freedom, but she always found her way back. It was familiar, safe, and Kagome stopped thinking about butterflies as she focused on healing the sick and wounded.

Until he showed up.

In all honesty, she expected him sooner. His brashness had never left any room for tact, and though his role within his pack took up most of his time, she was still surprised that it took him so long to visit.

However, the bigger shock was the return of the butterflies. They circled her stomach at the first sight of him, lithe muscles rippling across broad, tanned shoulders as he skidded to a stop in the middle of the village. He greeted everyone else like an old friend, like he never left, and Kagome waited her turn—waited for him to notice.

She expected bravado, to feel her hands in his as he made his usual, blatant claim. But it never came. He smiled, returned her wave, then approached her when he'd finished checking in with the other villagers.

"You're back," he said, blue eyes as vibrant as ever.

"I am," Kagome replied, hands loose in front of her.

His hair was the same, dark tips brushing the back of his neck, but he was definitely taller. His armour was also more elaborate, covering part of his chest before curling over one shoulder. Kagome mourned the sight and resisted the urge to trace the lines with her fingers. There was a calmness about him that she'd never anticipated, luring her into a tranquil conversation about how she'd been.

Kagome kept waiting for the claim to come, for the overconfidence to make itself known, but he kept himself separate, giving her space she hadn't asked for. She tried turning the tables, asking about his life and how the rest of the pack was doing in the hopes he'd ask her to visit.

No such luck.

A promise to return was all she got, along with another wave, and then he was gone. But the butterflies remained, their wings brushing against the insides of her stomach as she stared at the place where he'd been standing.

Inuyasha nudged her, his elbow bumping the space between her shoulder blades, and she gave him a guilty look. He continued to surprise her, shaking his head in exasperation instead of agitation. "He's changed."

"How much?" she asked helplessly.

Inuyasha snorted. "Not that much," he reassured her. "But enough that yer gonna have to be the one to say something."

Kagome breathed a sigh of relief. She could do that. She'd put herself on the line for less. A rustle had her refocusing on her current company, and she winced. "I'm sorry."

Inuyasha eyed her carefully, noting the way her knuckles turned white, and he leaned closer. "Do ya think he'll make you happy?" he asked seriously.

She flushed. "I don't know. But I feel—" She gnawed on her lip. "I feel."

Another snort ruffled her bangs. "Then you shoulda said something before he left."

Groaning, she smacked him in the arm. "Not helping!"

"I am helping," he retorted. "I'm stoppin' ya from wallowing longer than ya need to." They turned toward her hut, automatically falling in step with each other. They'd done it so many times before that it felt natural, and her shoulders relaxed.

"You're not mad?" she asked eventually.

"All I care about is you bein' happy, K'gome," he said, hands stuffed into his sleeves. "Doesn't matter who it's with." She threw herself at him, hugging him fiercely, and he groaned, awkwardly patting her back. "Yeah, yeah, I'm the best."

She gave a watery hiccup. "You really are."

The side of his mouth pulled up into a familiar smirk. "Just remind him of that. Forever."

It was a month before Kouga showed up again. Word was he was trying to expand his territory due to a few large litters within his pack, but humans were still afraid of 'the wolves from the mountain' and negotiations weren't going well.

Inuyasha ended up with reiki burns after a snide comment about how Kagome just needed to yell at them. A scathing glare reminded him that his presence was not required, and he slunk away with an annoyed "Keh!"

"Some people never change," Kouga mused, arms crossed over his chest.

"Sometimes that's a good thing," Kagome replied, shifting closer. There was a subtle flare of his nostrils, his arms tightening, but he remained impassive.

"Not when it comes to dog-breath." Kouga shook his head. "I swear he's still a toddler."

"But not you," she pressed.

That stroked his ego, and he preened under her praise. "Someone's gotta grow up and be a leader. I've got people who rely on me."

She offered him a genuine smile. "You've always been a leader, Kouga."

He finally faltered, taking a step backward as he swallowed slowly. "I tried to show you that before." He rubbed the back of his head, ponytail shaking from side to side. "All the shit from Naraku made it kinda hard, though."

"I noticed," she admitted, stepping closer to grab his hands. She clasped them together, sandwiching them between her own as she looked up at him. "I notice a lot of things about my man."

Kouga's mouth fell open a moment before his face flamed. "What?"

"You are mine, aren't you?" she asked casually. "I can't count the times you called me yours. Minus the times you've seen me since I got back."

Kouga looked around in panic, tail flicking back and forth. Not finding anyone else in on the joke, he finally found his nerve. Shaking her hands free, he clasped them tightly in his own. The feeling was achingly familiar, and Kagome felt her eyes well up. "How's my woman?" he asked softly.

"Lonely," she answered honestly. "You haven't been paying attention to me."

His bravado slumped, ego thoroughly deflated as he pressed their foreheads together. "I didn't know you wanted the attention."

"You didn't ask." She sniffed dramatically. "Just teased me with stories about your pack without seeing if I wanted to visit."

He groaned in defeat, fingers intertwining with hers. "Do you want to come home with me?"

She chuckled through her tears, snaking her arms around his neck. "Only if you want me to."

"Want to?" he asked incredulously. "Kags, I've been wanting to show ya the caves since—" Kagome didn't let him finish, closing the distance between them. He jerked at the contact, but she tightened her hold, slanting her head until he responded. A soft growl had her skin tingling, and he yanked her off her feet.

As he spun her around, her heart swelled. Impatience had paid off, and she'd finally found her place.

The waiting was done.

The waiting was not done.

True to his word, Kouga had taken her home, reuniting her with Hakkaku and Ginta, who were ecstatic to see her. Cries of "You're back!" and "Good to see you, sis!" drowned out the collective howling from the rest of his pack, which only got worse after she'd announced she was staying.

At that point, she'd thought it would be pretty obvious that she'd made her choice and what her life would entail. She'd expected Kouga to go back to his usual boisterous self, but apparently, the 'growing up' that he'd done had altered his brain chemistry, because no matter how many times she insinuated being his mate, he was still worried about scaring her off.

She'd been living in the caves for several months, and there were kisses and soft touches, but the fire had been seriously lacking. And not due to lack of spark, either. She felt it every time he touched her, every time he looked at her, but it seemed all of her past rejections had taken their toll.

Grumbling to herself, she stalked into one of the inner caves with the intention of knocking some sense into him, but what she found knocked the wind out of her.

There'd been another litter of pups recently, some more sickly than others, and though they'd all survived due to Kagome's help, the parents had their hands full dealing with their own health.

The pack life suited Kagome to a tee. Everyone looked out for everyone else, stepping in when someone was sick or injured. Kouga enforced it with vigour, keeping everyone focused on placing the needs of those weaker than them far above anyone else. It was a side of him she hadn't seen while fighting Naraku. His priority had been the safety of his pack, and he'd fought tooth and claw to ensure it happened.

He was much softer now. He still barked orders, but he did it out of earshot of the pups. Like now. He was sans armour, one strapped to his back, while another was content to lie in one arm. He strode around the room like he wasn't covered in drool, the end of his ponytail sticking to his shoulder. One of the new mothers gave him a grateful smile, curled up around three pups in their true form.

Kagome's heart almost burst from her chest.

An elbow nudged her from behind. "He used to look after us like that," Ginta whispered.

"He was pretty good at it, too." Hakkaku winked at her. "Never complained about the noise or the mess we made."

She watched as the pup from another litter began to wail, and Kouga swooped in, picking her up effortlessly and cradling her until she found her thumb. She was too young for her fangs, but her eyes were clear, gazing up at her alpha in wonderment.

"Makes me think what he'll be like when he has his own," Ginta said, leaning against the wall.

Hakkaku snorted. "He's gonna be wrapped around their finger. Worse, if it's a girl." He pointed at him, noting the soft expression on his face, and Kagome couldn't take it anymore, quickly crossing the room.

Kouga turned to return the female pup to her mother, cerulean eyes blown wide as Kagome grabbed onto his hair. "I want one."

Blinking in surprise, he looked between the two infants in his arms. "They're not old enough yet, Kags. They can't control their claws—"

She shook her head vehemently. "With you." The entire room went silent, Ginta and Hakkaku's mouths falling open.

A snicker from one of the mothers brought them out of it, and Hakkaku groaned. "Damn, Kouga. She hasn't even been here a year, and you're already disappointing her."

"And here I thought you were whipped already," Ginta chimed in.

Kouga bristled, managing to hand off both babies before raising a fist to his packmates. "Cut that out or I'll beat you down!" he snapped, unable to finish the threat as Kagome grabbed his face and pulled him into a fierce kiss.

If he wouldn't take the initiative, she would.

The pup on his back was removed, Kagome's hands never leaving his face, as Ginta and Hakkaku smacked him on the back. "We've got the pups, Kouga."

"Yeah," Hakkaku agreed. "Go spend some time with her before she decides putting up with you is more trouble than it's worth."

Kagome wanted to argue that she'd never get to that point, but she'd done her job too well. Kouga swung her up into his arms, quickly darting from the cave. She only broke the kiss in favour of burying her face in his neck, a giggle escaping when he finally stopped. "Took you long enough," she said.

His face was still flushed when she pulled back, eyes searching. "Do you really want this?" he asked. "I know you said it back in the village, but—"

She draped her arms over his shoulders. "I'm your woman, aren't I?"

Slit pupils dilated, though his claws were gentle as he brushed her hair away from her neck. "You've always been mine. From the moment I met you."

"Then prove it," she whispered, pulling him closer. "I've seen you as the warrior and the alpha. I want to see what you're like when we're alone." She nuzzled the underside of his jaw. "And naked." She shivered at the resulting growl and was pinned against the nearest wall, legs wrapping around his waist.

"I'll give you as many as you want," he said between kisses, his fangs leaving marks behind that he would then have to soothe with his tongue. "Just tell me how many."

Kagome groaned, the heat from his skin permeating her clothing. "It doesn't matter as long as they're yours," she replied, pulling his hair free of its ponytail. "As long as they're ours."

It didn't work on the first try, or even the tenth, but they knew it would happen eventually, and Kagome found he was far more impatient than she ever was, often stealing her away when she was supposed to be gathering medicinal herbs or bathing.

He never kept her waiting again.